Pheidole aeberlii Forel

Type location Senegal (Pheidole Aeberlii, n. spec., Forel, 1894b: 91, major, minor & male) collected in "Upper Senegal" - see below; major, minor & male described (see Bolton, 1995) .

Forel's (1894b) description is at .

Note: With fresh specimens, I have raised the former variety (subspecies of Bolton, 1995) Pheidole erythraea to full species status. For distinguishing characters see that species page and the keys.

Wheeler (1922) listed a second Senegal finding at Thiès (F. Silvestri) and noted it from Sudan (Omdurman, I Trägårdh). The latter perhaps was P. erythraea.

Clearly a savannah species.

Santschi (1930a: 61), described Pheidole andrieui by comparison with aeberlii and gave a drawing of the heads of the major and minor workers worker (right).

The photomontage of the type major worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0907803.

Although this and the minor below are labelled aeberlii the major head does not match the Santschi illustration, although the minor is similar. Forel gave the major colour as reddish-brown (yellowish-brownish) with the gaster, scape and femora dark brown.  In his description of the smaller Pheidole aeberlii var. erythraea (which I have separated as P. erythraea), Emery (1901a: 61), noting advice from Forel, had the propodeal spines as acute (obtuse in the type).

The photomontage of a syntype minor worker is collated from http://www.antweb.org/specimen.do?name=casent0907804. This appears to match the Forel description, including colour brown, alitrunk reddish brown, antennae, mandibles and legs yellowish-brown.

Wheeler (1922: ) gave the drawing (right) of "speculifera" but no details other than the size of the major in the drawing as being smaller (TL ca 6 mm) than cubangensis (TL 7 mm). With the type images of both aerberlii (above) and P. speculifera, the Wheeler drawing clearly is aeberlii.

Oxford University Museum specimens

Pheidole aeberlii B Taylor det.	Senegal Lamine Diamé 11	22.vi.2012 Thiés 14°58'N 17°00'W	Noto V 40 minor worker tube 03	1
Pheidole aeberlii B Taylor det.	Cameroun A Fotso Kuate Pheidole speculifera	9.v.2007 Awae II 03°54'30" N 11°25'58" E	Tuna bait in fallow Major	1

The photomontage is of a major from Cameroun; Awae II; collector A Fotso Kuate (fk pheidole speculifera). Morphologically a near exact match for the Wheeler drawing (above)

The photomontage is of a worker from Senegal; Thiés; 22.vi.2012; collector Lamine Diamé (11).